When we were in the Vendee region of France with Roger and Jenn Stowell, Roger prepared a wonderful soup of herbs and fresh white beans. These beans were the famous mogettes de Vendee or lingot beans. When cooked, these beans have a creamy texture and are a must have ingredient in French cassoulet.

I decide to make a pot to accompany some grilled herb crusted veal slices.

Mogettes de Vendee

1 lb of lingots beans, soaked overnight

1 carrot, sliced

1 shallot, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp herbes de Provence

Olive oil

6 pieces of bacon, sliced in to batons

10 cherry tomatoes

Cook the garlic, shallot, carrot, bay leaf and herbes de Provence in the olive oil for 1-2 minutes. Add this to the soaked beans and cover all with water. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

In the meantime, cook the bacon until just beginning to brown, add the tomatoes and cook for another minute or two.